The past year can be described as an exciting year in motorsport due to an increase in the various motorsport codes, the number of spectators that attended various events, and the interest shown by South African clubs to perform on local soil.
Daniel Tjongarero, the president of the Namibia Motor Sport Federation (NMSF), says it is evident that there has been positive growth in both the sport and spectator attendance.
Namibia on two occasions hosted two international events at Tony Rust Racetrack on the outskirts of Windhoek.
Apart from the various motorsport codes, like circuit racing, rallies, go-karting, drifting and spinning, as well as drag races and motorcross, the NMSF, through its international governing body, the World Motorsport Council, embarked on a development programme called ‘Girls on Tracks’.
“Difficult year, exciting year, lots of things we put into place, lots of things we executed this year, and a lot of competitions.” Tjongarero says.
He says the year was filled with good events, like the Windhoek Motor Club (WMC ) Speed Festival, the Shell V Power International Oval Challenge, and various rallies, such as the Tara Rally.
This year, the Tara was sponsored by M+Z Motors, he says, thanking the company for its commitment to motorsport, but also calling on more sponsors to get on board.
Tjongarero also mentions the race drivers who took part in the ROK Go-kart racing championships in Italy in October, as well as the Motocross of African nations (MXoAN) in Cape Town during August.
“If we look back at this year, we can say it was much better than last year,” he says.
He commended the various motor clubs across Namibia for making events happen in their respective regions.
Three new clubs could join the motorsport fraternity, while a few dormant clubs could rise from the ashes to make their presence felt.
In total, around 15 to 17 clubs could be active come 2024.
The development of the sport will not be limited to a few regions, Tjongarero says.
He calls on any potential motorsport enthusiast to get involved by making contact with NMSF through social media.
Tjongarero congratulates those who were involved either on or off the tracks and wishes them a safe festive season.
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